Disagreements between Ethiopia and Egypt around the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile river are unlikely to trigger a military conflict, Ethiopian Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu Aargau told Sputnik in an interview
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2020) Disagreements between Ethiopia and Egypt around the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile river are unlikely to trigger a military conflict, Ethiopian Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu Aargau told Sputnik in an interview.
"No. My answer is no," the ambassador said, answering a relevant question.
According to Aargau, the construction of the dam will likely boost cooperation between the parties, rather than a conflict.
"Now, the trilateral talks are ongoing under the aegis of the African Union, and I think all the problems will be resolved very soon. GERD is not a cause for conflict. The dam is a valuable project for the region. This is a source of cooperation, not a conflict," the diplomat stated.
At the same time, Aargau suggested that Egypt's request for the UN Security Council's intervention in the talks was pointless, as the construction of the GERD was the issue of development rather than security.
Commenting on concerns raised by some experts over a possible drought in Egypt and Sudan that might be caused by the dam, the diplomat said that this scenario was impossible, noting that even if this happened, it would be the responsibility of all the three parties to the talks.
Ethiopia has been pursuing the contentious project since 2012. As of today, the dam's construction has been completed by over 74 percent, according to local news outlets.
